Summary
- Dexter is alive and set to return in Dexter: Resurrection, sparking speculation about why the Harrison spin-off was scrapped.
- The Harrison spin-off likely did not happen due to the character's unpopularity with fans, lack of development, and controversial actions.
- Showtime initially planned for a sequel featuring Harrison, but opted for Michael C. Hall's return in Dexter: Resurrection following Dexter: New Blood's massive success.
It was a total surprise when it was announced that a Dexter sequel series was in development, with Michael C. Hall reprising the role of the serial killer with a code. Dexter: New Blood appeared to show Dexter dying from a gunshot wound to the chest by his teenage son, Harrison. This was considered to be the end of his story, until plans were announced to focus on a spin-off centered around Harrison. However, that idea was scrapped in favor of Dexter: Resurrection, which will begin production in January 2025, in time for a release on Paramount + with Showtime next summer.
Dexter is actually alive in Dexter: Resurrection, and this raises questions about why showrunner, Clyde Phillips, has gone down this route instead of developing the Harrison spin-off. Harrison was a very divisive character and many fans did not warm to him, and were especially upset when he killed Dexter. It looks like the series was scrapped because he wasn't popular enough with audiences, but that doesn't mean he won't return in the new sequel series.
Dexter: Resurrection Should Let Dexter's Dark Passenger Fully Take Over
Dexter has been fighting his dark passenger for many years, but it might be time for Dexter: Resurrection to fully unleash it.
What Was The Original Plan For The Dexter: New Blood Harrison Spin Off?
Dexter: New Blood was the most watched television series in Showtime's history, so plans were made to expand the universe with a Harrison spin off, which would've seen Dexter's teenage son embrace his own dark passenger after shooting Dexter in the chest. The shocking end and possible continuation of Dexter: New Blood wasn't originally planned to feature Michael C. Hall, with Clyde Phillips elaborating on Dexter's fate in an interview with Deadline in 2022 after the finale of Dexter: New Blood aired.
I have three words for you: Dexter is dead. I wouldn’t do that to the audience. It would be dishonest. Here, there is no question that this is the finale of Dexter. Dexter is dead.
It's not known how far along production was on the continuation of Harrison's story, but it's clear something drastic happened to change the plans. It was revealed in January 2023 that Showtime weren't moving forward with Dexter: New Blood season 2 as it was tentatively known, and plans moved forward for a prequel series instead. Dexter: Original Sin will focus on younger versions of popular characters from the original series and will air in December 2024. At San Diego Comic Con 2024, Michael C. Hall and Clyde Phillips announced there would be a sequel called Dexter: Resurrection, in place of the Harrison spin-off series.
The Harrison Spin-Off Probably Didn't Happen Because The Character Wasn't Very Popular
Nobody really knows why the Harrison spin off was officially scrapped, but it did come at a time when serious discussions were taking place about a merger between Paramount + and Showtime. Paramount likely wanted to capitalize on the success of Dexter, and a huge part of that is Michael C. Hall's iconic performance. Jack Alcott played Harrison Morgan in Dexter: New Blood, and despite his acting abilities, he isn't a big enough drawer to lead a Dexter spin-off series, and this is probably why it didn't happen. The merger eventually happened, and Paramount + with Showtime announced Dexter: Original Sin, followed by the Dexter sequel series, with both shows featuring Michael C. Hall.
The fan response to Harrison Morgan was largely negative and this is down to a few different factors which, collectively, likely played a part in the Harrison spin off being scrapped. When Harrison turns up in Iron Lake in search of his father, he ends up causing no end of trouble for Dexter. Harrison was very erratic and lacked direction, but that could be down to the lack of character development. After all, there were only 10 episodes of Dexter: New Blood to explore the character, and it probably wasn't long enough for fans to warm to him.
Many fans also didn't like Harrison because he killed Dexter, or so it seemed, until the major retcon. The re-introduction of the character felt like it was done so he could be the one to kill his father at the very end. Dexter: New Blood was a limited series, with no initial plans to move forward with Harrison beyond the finale, so it feels like not much care was taken in exploring the character in more depth. Due to Dexter's so-called death, and the success of Dexter: New Blood, there was only one way to progress with the story and that was with Harrison, but the lack of love for the character probably led to a rethink.
No casting announcements have been made for Dexter: Resurrection yet, aside from Michael C. Hall's return, but it's more than likely that Jack Alcott will reprise the role of Harrison Morgan. There's also a chance that some of the planned storylines for the Harrison spin-off series could still be used in Dexter: Resurrection.
Should Dexter: Original Sin Link Up With The Sequel Series?
Michael C. Hall will be involved in both Dexter: Original Sin and Dexter: Resurrection, which could suggest both series will be linked in some way.